I'm Coming Home
by cmdrabenstadt
Summary: okay writers block gone. But i'm not updating until I get at least 11 reviews, and I have a really good chapter from Zane's point of view on my computer, so i'll be waiting... Love Always, Cam;)
1. Prologue

"Are we almost there yet?" he asked me from the passenger seat.

"We're almost there kiddo, almost there," I told the 14 year old boy sitting next to me.

It had been 15 years since i'd been back here. 15 long years, and I was finally coming home.

**Sorry it's so short! I'm not sure if i'm going to continue it yet so I just wanted to give you a taste so you didn't get hooked! Please give me reviews and tell me if I should continue it! Love always, Cam;)**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

We pulled up into the driveway of a house I had spent so much time in as a child. Time spent on the front porch, with one of my best friends giving me advice. Drinking iced tea, eating cake. The porch alone contained countless good memories for me. That was what had started it all. I couldn't sit by and watch poor Hudson's house be bought by someone who wouldn't love it as much as I had, do, or will. I hoped that my son would be able to have the same kinds of memories on that porch, or in that library, as I did.

As soon as the car stopped, Zane hopped out of his seat and ran to the door, so eager. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to pick out his bedroom. He called back to me, and asked me for the keys. I tossed them back at him and he caught it with ease. No wonder he was the best baseball player on his team.

I caught up with him just as he unlocked the door, and we stood in awe, taking in the giant windows, the floor to ceiling bookshelves still filled with books, just like they were 15 years ago. It was all the same. Same bright light, airy feel. It was like a hug from an old friend, so warm and relieving. I was immediately glad that I had bought the house.

Zane ran up the stairs, so I followed him. The first room on the left was the room that was the turret. He walked in, and I could see it in his eyes, this was the room he wanted.

"Mom, can I have this one?" he asked me with astonishment in his voice.

"Sure thing babycakes," I kissed the top of his head. He was getting so tall.

Zane was a quiet, observant kid. He could be loud and funny when he wanted to, but that was usually only around me. He was medium height, skinny, but not frail. He had reddish brown hair, and brown eyes. The same brown that I used to get lost in so many years ago. He played baseball, always had straight A's. He was incredibly intelligent, but he never study so much that he missed out on life. He absolutely loved life, that kid. He may be quiet, but he was always up for anything.

"So what are you thinking for dinner?" I asked him. He was laying on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Hmmmm, maybe Italian? I could go for some lasagna."

"Sounds good to me. If I remember correctly, there's an Italian restaurant just down the street. Want to walk?"

"Yeah. Maybe you can show me around," he said, curious.

"Sure thing kid."

On the way to the restaurant, I showed him Juicers, Cheesers, Maynards Market, the Mall, all the places I went when I was his age. He just looked on in pure amazement, taking in every word I said and filing it away. It made me a little nostalgic. I really hoped he would have as much fun here in this little old town as I did.

We ate dinner and laughed and told jokes. We couldn't stop laughing when I snorted soda and it came out of my nose. You wouldn't believe how much food we could eat. There were at least three lasagna plates, a pizza pan, breadsticks, and two salads. It had been a long day, so you couldn't blame us for eating like pigs.

The walk back to the house was pretty quiet. We walked past Maynard's Market again, but something else came to mind. Double Dynamos.

"Zane? Have you ever had a Double Dynamo?"

"What's that?" he asked me, genuinely interested.

The look of horror on my face was probably priceless. How could Zane, my son, never have had a Double Dynamo?

"C'mon, we're going in. I'll show you then," I said, dragging him inside the store.

I quickly grabbed to Double Dynamos, paid, and left. I sat down on a bench out side of the store and handed Zane his ice cream. He unwrapped it, and took his first bite.

"This is delicious! How have I never heard of this?!" he said in complete and utter surprise.

"I know! I used to eat these all the time when I was a kid," I said in between mouthfuls of ice cream.

We stayed on that bench for no more than two minutes, we finished our ice cream so fast. I hadn't had one of those since I had left Santa Martina, and that was 15 years ago. God, I was almost _middle aged_, I was almost 31.

We walked the rest of the way not saying much. We had to rush because we still had to put together our beds so we could sleep, and we needed to get to bed at a decent time because Zane had school in the morning.

We finished the first bed by 11, but we were too tired to build another one. We just decided to share the bed. When we were settled in, and ready to go sleep, Zane snuggled into my side. He whispered, "I love you so much, Mama. Don't worry, this is gonna be good."

I leaned over and kissed his soft cheek, "I love you too, baby. And I hope so too."


	3. Chapter 2

"C'mon Zane baby, you have to get to school. Do you want eggs or pancakes?" I said, trying to gently wake him up.

"Both," he said groggily.

I laughed at his appetite. Typical teenage boy.

"Alright, well you need to get a move on. Go hop in the shower while I make your breakfast."

I went downstairs and made his breakfast. He came down and ate it all hungrily, then grabbed his backpack and was about to walk out the door when I stopped him.

"Don't you want me to drive you?"

"I'm okay Mom. I like the walk, to see all the trees. I'll see you at 3:00, okay? Don't worry, i'll be fine," he flashed me his beautiful smile.

I only sighed in response and watched him walk down the street. I couldn't believe it was his first day of high school already, my little boy was growing up.

The rest of the day I occupied myself with cleaning and unpacking. Gag me already. Unpacking was okay, but anything to do with cleaning, I absolutely hated. After a while I decided to take a break to go get some groceries, and that was when my problems started.

We only needed a few things, so I decided to just walk down to Maynard's Market, I didn't feel like driving anyways. I wasn't paying attention, and I accidentally ran into a guy walking the opposite way. He was tall, muscular, handsome. He stopped and excused himself, before continuing to walk the same way. I couldn't help but feel he looked slightly familiar.

I got the groceries and started my walk home, but as I walked down our street, I saw the same guy I had run into earlier working on the yard of one of the houses. Must be his house. He saw me walk past and asked, "Did you move into the older guys' house? The big one with blue siding?"

"Yeah, my son and I. We just moved in yesterday."

He walked closer, "Welcome to the neighborhood. Are you from around here?" he held out his hand for me to shake.

"We just moved from Maryland, but I lived here when I was a kid, and I moved when I was about sixteen," I shook his hand firmly.

"Well welcome back. Can I help you take those groceries inside?" he said, taking two of the bags for me.

"That would be great," I smiled.

He came inside and we talked for a while. He helped me put together some of our furniture, and we sat on the large front porch, swinging on the porch swing.

"Well, it was very nice meeting you," he said after a while, "But i'm afraid i'll have to get going."

"Yeah, my son will be home soon, so I probably should too. What was your name again?"

"Casey. Casey Acosta."

"Oh, oh my god. Wait, did you say Acosta? Jesus Christ, Casey do you remember me?" I sputtered out.

He was shocked at my surprisement. Even a little bit confused.

"I'm not sure, what's your name?"

"Sammy Keyes. Oh my god, oh my god."

"Sammy? Are you serious? Sammy Keyes? I knew you looked familiar, but I never would have thought, in a million years, that I would see you again!"

I leaped into his arms and suffocated him in a bear hug. I had missed his touch, his scent, after so many years. I had been wanting it, craving it for so long, but I never thought that I would feel him again.

"How old did you say your kid was?" he said, starting to put things together a little bit.

"He, uh, he um just turned 14," I said a little worried.

"Jesus Sammy. You had a kid when you were sixteen?"

"It's a really long story, and I would love to tell you, but I really need to get back to work. I'll see you around, okay Casey?"

"Wait. Will you meet me for lunch tomorrow? I'll pick you up at 12. Please?"

"Yeah, yeah sure," I said, extremely distracted and quite worried.

**Kinda short chapter... sorry guys! And yes I put casey in;) I have a really great idea for the next chapter so I had to finish this one up quick so I could get the new one up tonight! Keep up your awesome reviews! Love, Cam ;)**


	4. Chapter 3

I sat in the living room drinking tea until Zane got home, just so I could relax and take in everything that had just happened. I saw Zane walking on the sidewalk, but he wasn't alone. Beside him was a beautiful girl. Medium height, dark hair, she looked like a supermodel. They started to walk up the path to the front door.

"Mom, can I go to juicers with Rosy?" he came and dropped his backpack off.

"Of course! Tell her she can leave her backpack here too."

"Oh yeah, her mom invited both of us to dinner too. I think she said at 6:00, can we go?" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, what's Rosy's last name," curious if I might have known her parents.

"Uh, Urbanski...? Something like that. Any ways, I'll see you later!" and he ran out the door.

"Be back by 5:30 so you can get cleaned up!" I yelled as they took off.

Now, it took me a second to realize that he had just said the last name of someone that was practically my archenemy. Who had Danny married? I wondered if he knew who we were, if he remembered. But surely he couldn't that foolish, holding middle school grudges. If he was a mature adult, everything would go fine. The only thing I could do was be the better person.

I picked up around the house for a little bit, then went upstairs to take a shower. I put on some non-holey jeans, a light blue cardigan, and this white shirt that had a few ruffles down the middle. I tied my nice pair of navy converse low tops and swiped on some mascara. I scrunched my hair to make it a little curly, and clipped on the key necklace that Casey had given me on Valentines day so many years ago. I thought I looked pretty good.

Zane and Rosy came right on time, which surprised me since Zane is never punctual for anything. Maybe this Rosy girl was a good influence on him.

"Hey, go upstairs and put on a button down and some jeans, I want you to look nice," I told him after Rosy started her walk home, "Comb back your hair too! And make sure you wash your face and brush your teeth!" I yelled up the stairs.

"Yes mother dearest!" he yelled back jokingly.

When he came back down the stairs, it took my breath away how much he looked like his father. He was wearing a red and blue button down, a dark pair of jeans, his reddish-brown hair was slicked away from his face so you could see his bright, shining eyes. He flashed me his white smile, and said, "Handsome enough for you?"

"Definitely," I leaned over and kissed the top of his head, "Want to walk?"

"Yeah, you should see the red leaves on the trees. It's like a giant red and orange umbrella."

"Well, we better get a move on then!"

On our walk, he told me all about his day at school. How at lunch Rosy had come up and asked his name, how she said she hated how catty and materialistic girls are. They had most of their classes together, so he stuck with her the whole day. She plays softball and does art, and she likes to climb trees and read. She lives on Cook street, which was just a short walk away, and our house was on her way to school, so they could walk together every day.

"So it was a good day?" I asked him after he had spilled everything.

"Definitely, by far," he said very seriously, looking up at the canopy of trees above us. It definitely was something else.

I put my arm around his shoulders and we walked the rest of the way in silence, just taking in our surroundings.

We came up to Rosy's house, a medium sized house with white siding and gray shudders. I rang the doorbell, but I never in a million years would have suspected the person that opened the door.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh cliff hanger! HahaXD thanks so much for the reviews! Keep it up! lol Life-Just-Bites-Back you crack me upX'D I'll try and update later after I finish my homework :P Love Always, Cam;)**


	5. Chapter 4

I must have looked pretty rude, standing there with my mouth gaping open like that. And apparently I looked something because the woman I assumed to be Rosy mother said, "Oh you must be Zane, are you okay?" in a very familiar and comforting voice, something I had missed for a while.

"Oh, yeah, i'm sorry. Can I ask your name?" I stuttered.

"Marissa, Marissa Urbanski. My maiden name was Mckenze," she said a bit skeptically.

"Oh my gosh, Marissa, do you remember me? I'm Sammy, Sammy Keyes."

She didn't even say a thing. She stood for a second, probably going back 15 years in her brain, remembering all the things we did together, all the adventures we had. And when the look of shock came onto her face, she jumped and pulled me into a hug, and I could tell, things we be just like they used to.

"Sammy Sammy Sammy oh my god! It's been so long! I don't even know! How long have you been here? Why didn't you find me? Oh my god I can't believe it!" she was doing a more grown-up version of the Mckenze dance, and I just knew she was my same Marissa. The same one I had left 15 years ago as a hyper teenager.

"Oh, what am I doing, come on inside!" she said, stepping aside so Zane and I could walk in.

Her house was very nice, decorated perfectly in neutral, earthy tones with pops of blue, green, and orange. It had some bird and tree pictures on pillows and paintings, and it was very unlike something I would expect Marissa's house to be decorated like.

"Rosy's outside in the backyard, you can go out and find her," she said, pointing towards the back door, "You can sit down at one of the barstools, Sammy. Do you want anything to drink? We have water, iced tea, lemonade…?"

"Water is fine," I said, "Oh gosh, Marissa, you haven't changed a bit."

"Now that I think about it, you haven't either. I don't think I would have recognized you though unless you hadn't recognized me. You've definitely grown up a lot."

"So, catch me up. What's happened since I left?"

"Oh, where to start. Holly and Billy got married, I don't know, six years ago? Casey's hardly had a girlfriend, and if he did, it was only for like a week. Heather moved away a long time ago, and I think I remember hearing that she got arrested. Officer Borsch retired, him and Debra still live here though. Your Grams is in the nursing home, I go and visit her sometimes. I'm sure she's already told you, you went to see her already didn't you?"

"What?! Grams is still alive? My mom told me she passed away from cancer or something like 10 years ago! I cried for weeks when she told me! And she lied about it… i'm almost glad that she overdosed, because that's just sick and twisted."

"Well i'd suggest that you go visit her as soon as you can, but in the meantime, you've got some explaining to do. Such as why you have a 14 year old kid and you're only 30."

"Well, I suppose I could ask you the same question," I said, eyeing her, "But i'm pretty sure you can figure everything out by just looking at him."

"Oh, oh my gosh. He looks just like Casey! Oh, Sammy, you don't mean… and oh, he doesn't, oh Sammy you never told him? Sammy you have to sometime! He's going to figure it out as soon as he sees him. Have you met up with Casey yet?"

"Yeah, he lives on my street. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow. Oh god, I made a big mistake. I just, after Lady Lana too me to New York, she took all sources of contact away from. She practically locked me inside the apartment. She didn't want to ruin her publicity with her daughters teen pregnancy, or so she says, so she decided to lock me up and hide me away instead. I couldn't call you, email you, nothing. She wouldn't even let me contact Grams! So when I turned 18, and Zane was still a baby, I moved to Maryland and put myself through college. It was comfortable, and I had a well paying job, so I just never left. I figured you guys had all forgotten about me. Then I looked online and saw that Hudson's house was for sale, so I bought. And now we're here."

"You bought Hudson's house? Oh i'm so glad! I tried to get Danny to buy it, but he wouldn't. Oh, but i'd love to sit on that front porch again, and drink tea, just like when we were young. It would bring back a lot of memories."

"Yeah, it would. So explain your situation."

"Well, Danny and I were dating, you knew that. But you also knew he had changed a lot, so I accidentally got pregnant, and we got married as soon as I got out of high school. He's definitely not a dead-beat father or husband, and I really don't regret marrying him. Oh yeah, i'm a makeup artist and a hairdresser, and I have a little interior design business that I run on the side, but it's mostly just a hobby. But Sammy oh my god how, after all these years, have you never told Casey that you had his kid. He's going to be so mad! What are you going to say? 'Oh yeah, I had your kid when I was sixteen.' Does Zane even know? Has he never asked you about his father?"

"Zane doesn't care. He just goes on what life gives him, which I guess is a good thing. He's so much like his dad though, most of the time I feel like i'm just talking to Casey."

"Well Sammy, if I was you, I would tell him tomorrow. He's going to figure it out sometime, so it's best he gets a first hand account. To be honest, you should have told him a long time ago, from the start."

"Well I made that mistake, and there's nothing I can do about it now. Should I tell Zane first though?"

"Definitely. You don't want to just spring a dad on him."

"True, true. Oh god, I just, I don't even know."

The rest of the night went smoothly. Danny was on a business trip, so I didn't get to see him. We ate the dinner that Marissa had cooked, and talked and told jokes. We played charades and tag outside, and I have to say, hanging out with Marissa is something i've missed for a long time. But it made me glad that we could go back to being best friends so easily after being apart for so long. It made me feel like I was still the same person, that I hadn't really changed on the inside.

When it was about 10:00, we decided to call it a night. Both of the kids had school in the morning, and I was still just plain exhausted. We gave hugs and said goodnight, and Rosy told Zane she would go by our house in the morning so they could walk to school together. Marissa gave me a wink after she said that.

We walked back home in quiet, and quickly got into bed. We were both exhausted, and I had a long day ahead of me.

The next morning, I got up and helped Zane get off to school. For a while, when he was eating, we were just quiet, so I decided to ask him my important question of the day, "Zane? Do you want to know who your Dad is?"

"I mean, I would like to, but if you don't want you don't have to. I've gone 14 years without him, so I think I can last a little longer."

"It's okay, baby, i'll tell you," I went and grabbed a photo album from the living room. I opened it and stared down sadly at the two happy teenagers kissing in the photograph. It was Casey and I. We were sitting on a bench in the park, and I think Billy or Marissa took the picture. I thought this would make me happy, remembering what my life used to be, but it was doing the opposite. It was making me sad.

I walked back into the kitchen where Zane was, and slid the album across the counter.

"Is that him?" he asked, pointing to Casey.

"Yes, that is your Dad," I said, a little more sadly than I had intended.

He paused for a while and just stared at the picture. He flipped the page a couple times.

"So you guys were dating? For how long?"

"Four years. Then my mom made me move to New York, and that's where I had you."

"Does he know about me?"

"No baby, I never told him. But i'm going to tell him at lunch today, and then you guys can meet each other."

"Does he live here?"

"Yeah, he lives on our street actually."

"Wow, that's weird."

"Yeah, I didn't know it. I ran into him accidentally, then I realized who he was."

"Well, I better go. Rosy's probably waiting for me. See you later!" and he was gone.

After he left, I decided to take a long, hot shower. I was extremely anxious and worried, and I needed to relax, or none of what I needed to say would come out right. I put on my button down chambray shirt on and my kelly green pants. I pulled on my navy converse that I wore last night and just let my hair air dry. I wanted to look good, but not overdone. I did my usual routine of mascara, and put on my key necklace. By 11:45 I was ready to go.

I cleaned the dishes for a little, before I heard the knock at the door. My heart leaped into my throat. I snapped out of my shock just enough to go and open the door, but I was like a worry zombie, just sort of walking around, doing what I was supposed to, but not really paying attention. Just worrying. What he would say. What he would do. If he would leave, if he would be mad. There are just too many possibilities.

"Hey Casey," I said, opening the door.

"Hey. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

We started walking towards the main street where all the restaurants were. We were both quiet, not knowing where to start.

"I'm kind of feeling sandwiches, but italian is good too," he said, breaking the brick wall of silence.

"No, sandwiches is good. Zane and I haven't tried that one yet," easing in to our comfortable way of talking that we used to have.

We went and sat down in the little cafe by the window. I looked out at the bustling street, not knowing in the least bit where to start.

"So, you promised me a story," Casey said, breaking the silence again.

"Where should I start?"

"From the beginning. Why you left."

"Okay, well Lady Lana took me to New York so she could promote her beauty line. But she wouldn't let me contact anyone, she practically locked me away. And on top of that, when I was 18 she told me that Grams died of cancer, but I found out from Marissa yesterday that she's still alive, and she still lives in the Senior highrise. My mom overdosed on painkillers a while ago, so I left New York and went to Maryland to go to college. I saw Hudson's house for sale, so I bought it and moved back."

"But I don't understand, why did your Mom take you away and then lock you up in New York?"

"B-Because, I was um, how do I say this. I was pregnant?" I stuttered out.

Casey just sat for a minute, registering what I said. After a minute, he said, "Sammy, is he mine?"

I couldn't even speak. The only thing I could manage was a nod of my head. Casey sat for another couple of seconds thinking about what I just said. The waiter came to take our orders though, so he didn't say anything right away.

"He's mine, isn't he?"

I nodded again.

"And you never told me. He's 14 years old, and you never even bothered to tell me that we had a son. I would have been there for him, if I had even known he existed."

"I'm sorry," I choked out.

"Well, Sammy, i'm not going to be mad about it because there is no point. And I have my chance now to be there for him, so i'm sure as hell going to take it."

I nodded. Our food came out so we just sat and ate for a while, not saying anything. It wasn't awkward, just a comfortable silence. Like something important had been resolved, and I guess something had.

"Does he know?" Casey asked.

"I told him this morning. I showed him that photo album you gave me for Christmas in like, 9th grade."

"What did he say?"

"He just asked me how long we were dating, and why we split up."

Silence again.

"What's he like?" Casey asked yet another question.

I sat and thought for a minute. How do you describe someone you know so well? I wasn't quite sure.

"He's quiet at first, but once he gets used to you he's silly and crazy. He's the star of the baseball team. He's in all honors classes and gets all A's. He likes to read and take long walks. He loves being outside and he bites his lip when he's thinking really hard about something. He taps his foot over and over when he's really nervous, and his favorite color is light blue, like the water in the Carribbean as he always describes it. His favorite season is autumn, and his birthday is September 6."

So much silence happened today. Casey was thinking, processing all that I had said, putting it away into a file in the back of his brain.

"What does he look like?"

I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through my pictures to find one of him. I came to one of him from about 2 weeks ago. We had made the long drive from Maryland to California a road trip vacation. The picture was when we stopped in Arizona, and a lizard had crawled up his back and onto the top of his head. He was smiling big and his eyes were shining. I passed the phone over to Casey.

"Jesus, he is definitely my kid. He looks just like me," he shook his head a little.

"I know he's yours Casey. I always have."

"When can I see him?" he asked me eagerly.

"I was going to meet him at Juicer's after school anyways, so you could come I guess."

"Of course," he nodded vigorously.

"So, how has your life been?" I asked him, glad that the hard part was over.

"Uneventful. Heather's in jail, haven't seen my mom in years, my dad lives in Hollywood. I work as a detective at the station. That's about it."

"I'm a police officer," I added, "I just got a job at the station too."

"That's awesome!" he said a little too excitedly.

I realized what time it was, 1:30. I had been planning on going to visit Grams this afternoon too.

"It was really nice having lunch with you Casey, but I need to go visit Grams. I'll meet you at Juicer's at 3, okay?"

"Okay. And Sammy? I'm really glad you're back."

"Me too, Casey, me too."

**No cliffhangers this time! Hope you guys like it! Keep the reviews coming! Love always, Cam;)**


	6. Chapter 5

I walked through the familiar front doors of the senior highrise, to find that the same guy that ran the reception desk was still there, just a much older version of himself. I walked up to him and said, "Hi, is Rita Keyes here?"

"Yes, one second," he looked up from his computer, "Sammy? Is that you?"

"Yes," I laughed.

"Your grandmother's been waiting for you for so long. She used to ask every day if you had come by or called, but you never did. It used to make her so upset."

"I know, but I wasn't in a situation where I could call or visit. I'm here to make it up to her now though."

"And i'm glad you are. She's still in the same room, you can go right on up."

I walked slowly up the stairs, wary of what condition Grams might be in. She was probably around 80 or 85 now.

I knocked on the door and waited. I heard someone get up and say, "One moment!"

The door opened, and there in front of me stood Grams. My rock.

"G-Grams? Do you remembered me?" I was almost crying.

"Samantha? Is that you? Oh dear, come give me a hug!" she held open her arms and I fell into them.

"Come inside dear, i'll make you some tea," she hobbled into the kitchen.

"No, no Grams. I'm fine. You sit down," I shook my head.

I plopped down into the couch, and she sat down slowly into the chair.

"I'm so sorry Grams. I shouldn't have believed her." the tears were rolling now.

"Now what are you talking about Samantha?" she said confusedly.

"Grams, Lana told me that you died of cancer 10 years ago. That's why I never came home. I thought you were gone."

"That Lana! I'm going to call her up and slap some sense into her!" she said, infuriated.

"Grams? Do you not know?"

"Know what?" she asked. But she was distracted by the phone ringing.

I got up and pulled the phone away from her, "Grams, Lana overdosed on painkillers right after she told me you passed away."

She shook her head, "Where did I go wrong with her? You turned out so perfectly, she turned out a disaster!"

"I know Grams, but it's not your fault. You tried your best."

I helped her sit back down in her chair and got her a glass of water. She sat for a couple minutes, quiet and thinking.

"Samantha, did you make good out of your life?" she said quietly, like she was afraid of what I might say.

"I did Grams, I really did," I smiled.

"I want you to tell me all about it. Every single detail." she smiled back.

I spent the next 20 minutes telling her about Lana torturing me and my life in Maryland. How I had bought Hudson's house, which made her extremely happy. When I was done, I added, "I have a son, too."

"Oh goodness. How old is he?" she said, excited.

"He just turned 14, Grams."

"Oh my, Samantha! You had him when you were 16?"

"Yes Grams."

"Well, i'm not going to lecture you, you can make your own choices. But I am going to say that you are going to bring my grandson over here tomorrow after school."

I laughed in relief, "Grams, you don't have to wait until tomorrow. In fact, i'm moving you in with us."

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I am perfectly fine here," she said curtly.

I laughed again, "Grams, don't be silly. We have plenty of extra bedrooms, and if you wanted, i'm sure we could move you in by tonight. You have hardly any things," I looked around the room at her minimal belongings.

"Well, that sounds just wonderful! Let's start packing!"

She grabbed her suitcase and a couple boxes out of a closet, and begin to put her clothes in. I gathered up all her photographs and knicknacks, and folded up her throw blankets. By the time we were done packing, there was only 3 boxes and her suitcase full of stuff that we had to move.

"You wait here. I'm going to tell them you're leaving, and i'll get my car so we don't have to carry this stuff."

I did all that I said, and walked back up the stairs to get the boxes and Grams. We went into the elevator, and came out in the lobby. As we walked out the doors, the guy at the front desked yelled, "Bye Sammy! Bye Rita! Good luck!"

And then we were gone.

We pulled into the driveway, and I went to the other side of the car to help Grams get out. She went and sat down on the front porch. I carried in the boxes, and she came with me.

"Go ahead and pick your room Grams, i'll be right up."

She hobbled up the stairs, and I went to go check the time. 2:45. I only had 15 minutes left.

I carried up her suitcase and a box, and found her in a bedroom with lots of bookshelves and windows. I had already put the extra bed in there.

"This one is perfect, Samantha. Better than I could ever have imagined."

"I'm glad Grams," I smiled, "I have to be somewhere in 15 minutes, but make yourself at home. You can unpack your things, whatever you want. There's some food in the kitchen if you're hungry."

She wasn't really listening though. She had picked up a framed photo of Zane from about a year ago. It had been on the night stand.

"Is this him?" she asked me.

"Yeah."

"He looks just like his father."

"I know. Sometimes I feel like i'm talking to Casey instead of him. His name is Zane, by the way."

"Zane…" she muttered under her breath.

I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "I have to go Grams, i'll be back in a while."

"Okay," was all she said.

I grabbed my cell phone started to walk over to Juicer's by the mall. When I got close enough, I could already see Casey sitting at a table. He saw me and his face immediately brightened up.

I walked through the door and sat down across from him. He was staring out the window, probably looking for Zane.

"Good to see you again," I said.

"Yeah," was all I got in response. He was distracted.

We waited a few more minutes, before I saw him and Rosy across the street. I saw him say good bye, and she waved back. He jaywalked across the street, and made his way over to the door. He saw me, and came over to sit, but then he noticed Casey.

"Um, hi mom," he said, eyeing Casey.

"Hey, bud, come sit down," I patted the seat next to me.

He gave me a look like, "Who is that?"

I gave him a look back that said, "Just go with it."

"How was school?" I asked him.

"It was good. I aced that test I was studying for last night, and the girl that normally picks on Rosy got suspended. Plus, it's Friday, and that makes everything better."

I nodded in agreement. Where do I even start this conversation at? I glanced at Casey to see if he was prepared. He nodded just enough for me to see.

"Zane, this is your father."

He just sat for a second. Now, I can normally read Zane like a book. But right now, his expression was plain, his whole body was still, he was basically frozen in place. Speechless, I guess you could say. After a couple seconds, he held out his hand for Casey to shake and said, "Nice to meet you Mr. Acosta," he was grinning wide.

"Nice to meet you too, Zane," Casey smiled back at him, "So I heard you play baseball."

"Yeah, i'm a pitcher," Zane nodded.

"How long have you been playing?"

"About eight years."

"I'm not very good at sports, but I can play a little bit of ball," Casey shrugged, "You'd still probably whoop my ass."

"Yeah probably," Zane laughed.

I was smiling really big now, but I couldn't help myself. This was the best possible thing that could happen. Casey and Zane could have reacted any number of ways, but this way was the best. Zane could have a father, and Casey could have a son. I was kind of mad at myself though, because this could have happened from the start if I had been smart about it.

We stayed for a while, drinking smoothies and talking. About sports, school, favorite foods, anything really. They talked to eachother like they were old friends that hadn't seen each other in a while, and that made me really happy. It got to be about 5:00, so we all had to go in for the night.

"Hey, tomorrow's Saturday and I don't have work, do you want to go throw a ball at the park?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Zane smiled.

"Okay, i'll come pick you up at 10, sound good?"

"Definitely."

The whole way home, Zane just smiled. He didn't say anything, he just walked and grinned.

"Do you remember how I told you that my grandma passed away from cancer when you were a baby?"

He nodded.

"Well, my mom Lana lied about it, so my grandma is going to live with us now. She's really nice, she cooks really well, and I know you'll absolutely love her."

"That sounds really good," he said. He was still smiling like he couldn't be any happier.

We walked in through the front door, and I immediately smelled something delicious. I walked into the kitchen, and saw Grams stirring a big pot of tomato sauce, and some meatballs were frying in a pan.

"Oh! Is he back yet?" she asked me excitedly.

"Yeah, he was really happy that you're going to live with us. He's probably in the living room, i'll watch the food."

She nodded and walked slowly out of the kitchen.

I heard a conversation going on, but I couldn't make out any words. The curiosity was eating me alive, so I finally just decided to go and see what they were doing. I peeked around the corner and saw Zane giving Grams a giant hug, and I swear to god my heart just plain melted. I didn't want to ruin their moment, so I just went back to take care of the food. Everything was falling into place, and I finally knew for sure, that coming home was worth it.

"Hey mom!" I heard Zane yell from the living room.

"Yeah?"

"Rosy asked if she and her mom could come over after dinner! Her mom wants to talk to you."

"Tell her 6:30!" I yelled back.

We sat down to eat spaghetti, and talked and laughed the whole night. You forget how much you love every day things, but it was coming back, I am remembering.

**yay update! Thanks for the reviews, keep em coming! Just wanted to let you know I added a whole bunch of stuff in my bio for my other story so make sure you check it out! You people need to update cough cough *immastartariot* cough cough *Dontkillmyvibe* cough cough. Love Always, Cam;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Zane's POV:

I had known, I had seen it all coming. It mostly started that first day of school. I had been walking down the street, when a man came out of his house to say hi. Throughout our whole conversation, I kept feeling like i'd seen him before, he looked so familiar. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks, he was the guy in the pictures in all of my mom's photo albums. What was his name, Casey? Yeah, that was it. He was Casey, my mom's boyfriend before she moved to New York.

That whole day at school, I put pieces of the complex puzzle that was my life together. My mom had me when she was sixteen, she moved to New York when she was sixteen, she broke up with Casey when she moved to New York, therefore she was sixteen when they broke up. She had me a little under 9 months after she moved to New York, which means that she got pregnant with me here, when she was dating Casey. It had to be. That had to be the explanation. Casey was my father.

School was fine, but Rosy made it ten times better. She was so independent and unpredictable, which is what I love about her. She was always showing me some hiding place in the woods, or the rooftop of the mall, yesterday we even had a mud fight. She took me way into the woods behind her house, and there it was. Before us was the mother of all mud pits. While I was staring in amazement, Rosy lobbed a giant ball of mud straight at my back.

"That's it," I said laughing, "You're going to get it!"

I picked up some mud, balled it up, and splattered it right on the top of her head. She screamed this really fun, happy scream, then ran and full out tackled tackled me onto the ground. She had me pinned and was about to start shoving mud down my shirt, when I yelled, "Uncle! Uncle!" before laughing because of the mud trickling down my chest.

I looked up into her bright blue eyes, and I think that's when I realized that I was falling in love.

"Your eyes are like chocolate," she said, a little bit mezmerized, "You can get lost in them."

I don't know what it is about her, but Rosy makes you feel like you could just spill all of your secrets to her, like you've known her forever. She knows when you're serious or joking, and she always knows how to cheer you up. Her face brightens, and her beautiful smile reaches across her face when she sees me, and to be honest, I think i've fallen head over heels for her.

We trudged back in all our muddy glory to Rosy's house. We started to shower off with her house, but her mom came out and insisted she get a picture. Rosy put her arms around my neck, and leaned over so that she was kissing my cheek. I couldn't help but blush, luckily my face was covered in mud though.

We didn't take life too seriously, and I liked it that way. What's the point of childhood if you can't have fun? Sure, school and homework and futures are important, but only to a point. Rosy taught me that you need to live a little, and you can't let stuff bring you down. After all, high school is just a little blip in the timeline of your life, so who cares if you were popular during it? As long as it remains a happy memory in your mind, it was worth it.

On top of all that, my mom showing me that picture of Casey sealed the deal. Like gluing my puzzle together on a board. Then he was there at Juicer's, and I think that we could really get along. And maybe, just maybe, he and my mom could be together again. That would be the icing on the cake, a real, full family.

Truth be told, I couldn't wait till tomorrow when I was meeting Casey, or Dad maybe, at the park to through some ball. That's what i'd always imagined you would do with a father, play catch in the park, go get some ice cream afterwards, talk about our lives. It's what i'd always wanted. I'd always think of scenarios in my head, me with my dad, but I never brought that up around my mom. I used to, when I was about 10 or 11, but I saw how sad it made her to talk about my father, so I stopped. If I had never needed him before, why would I need him now? Now that I had a dad, though, I would never trade that for the world.

Saturday morning, I woke up at nine, excited and full of energy. I went out to the hallway, but my mom was still sleeping. I went back into my room and pulled on a gray polo shirt, some plaid shorts, and my gray converse low-tops. I combed my hair, brushed my teeth, and washed my face, just like my mom always told me. I walked as quietly as I could down the stairs, and went into the kitchen to get some cereal. Grams was already there though, making eggs, hash browns, and bacon, my favorite.

"Morning Grams."

"Good morning Zane, how did you sleep?"

"I slept good, but not for very long. I think I was thinking too much."

"That happens. You've gone through a lot these past few days, i'm not surprised."

"Today is going to be a good day though. I've been waiting for this for a long time, and Rosy and I are going to the movies later."

"Rosy's a sweet girl, i'm glad you're friends with her. You better hurry up and eat, he'll be here in a couple of minutes."

I gobbled down my breakfast (It was delicious!), and went to sit in the living room with Grams until Casey, or Dad, came to get me. Grams asked me about school and my hobbies, so I told her about baseball and how I like to read, how I always got all A's, about how close Rosy and I already were. She just beamed at me, and you could practically see the pride in her eyes, like I was the most perfect grandson she could have asked for. Then the doorbell rang. I was a little nervous, what if I wasn't good enough for him? If I wasn't the son he'd always imagine? I'd hate to be someones disappointment, that would just kill me.

Grams walked over, or more like shuffled over, to the door. She opened the door and I took a sharp intake of breath. He stood there, staring in through the doorway. My father.

"Hey Grams," he said. I guess everybody calls her that.

"Oh Casey! You're all grown up! It's been so long," she gave him a hug.

"How've you been?" he hugged her back.

"Oh i've been good. Better now than ever. Come in!" she stepped aside.

He was wearing jeans and a button down, some adidas sneakers, and his hair hung shaggy, almost in his eyes. I could see why my mom would like him.

"Hey Zane," he said, "Ready to go throw some ball in the park? Maybe you could teach me a few tips. I more of a theater person," he laughed a little.

"Sure," I said quickly, eager to impress.

"Well we better get a move on. I'll bring him back around three, is that okay? And tell Sammy that i'll talk to her later."

"Okay Casey, i'll tell her. See you later Zane!" Grams waved.

He closed the door and we started to walk towards the park. It was a crisp, cool day, and the wind was blowing. A perfect day to be outside and play ball. We didn't say anything for a while until he said, "Look, Zane, i'm really sorry. For anything. Or everything. I'm sorry you never had a father, i'm sorry that this is really awkward and uncomfortable for you, i'm just trying to make up for lost time."

I just thought about what he said for a second. I mean this couldn't be easy for him either. Who wants a fourteen year old kid sprung on him?

"Well, let me just put it this way. I don't really know what to say or do with you. I've never had a father. My mom never dates. The closest thing I've ever had to a father is my grandpa, and I hardly ever get to see him. It's not that I don't want you, i'm just afraid of disappointing you."

"Zane, I may not know you that well, but I know there is no way that you will ever disappoint me. Ever. All i'd ever wanted was a family with your mom, and I almost have it. Almost. And if this is as close as I get to that dream, then I'll sure as heck take advantage of it."

"I hope we do. I hope we all end up together."

"Me too kiddo, me too," he put his arm around my shoulder.

We spent the rest of the day playing catch, and he took me to this taco place for lunch. He asked me about school and my hobbies, who my best friend is, normal stuff like that. We walked around town for a little bit, but when it got to be around 3:00 I said, "I had a really great time with you, but I told Rosy i'd meet her later, so I better start on my way home."

"Rosy, that's Marissa's daughter right?"

"Yeah, she's like my best friend."

"Do you like her?" he asked a little suspiciously.

"I-I really don't know yet. It was nice spending time with you! See you later!" and I rushed off, trying to avoid awkward conversation.

On the way to Rosy's house I called her home phone and her mom picked up.

"Zane? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah, i'm fine. Just, is Rosy there?"

"Yeah she's here. Just make sure if you come over to bring your mom. I have a surprise for her."

I detoured and went back to our house to go tell my mom. But when I got there, I realized someone had beat me to it.

"Cas- Dad? What are you doing here?" I asked thoroughly surprised.

"I thought you were going to Rosy's house so I came to talk to your mom…"

"Oh, well, Mom, Rosy's mom wants you to come with me. She said she has a surprise…"

**I am on an updating roll! XD anyways, I hope you like! Love always, cam;)**


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